


Happy Easter!

by Blue_Night



Category: Football RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: Alternate Universe, Children, Dogs, Easter, Established Relationship, Family Fluff, M/M, Romance, Same-Sex Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 01:30:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,464
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6353536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to 'The Puppy'.</p><p>Dr. Erik Durm and Marco Reus are married now and live happily together with their dogs Snoopy and Blacky. Marco's nephew Nico (seven years old in this fic), has to spend the Easter holidays with his uncles because his mother broke her leg, and Marco has had an idea to make him happy again...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Easter!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [funfan](https://archiveofourown.org/users/funfan/gifts), [GoForGoals](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoForGoals/gifts).



> Happy Easter, my dear readers!
> 
> I know that it is a little bit early, but this idea popped up in my mind today, and after some straining days and feeling sick the entire day, I needed some pure and sugar-sweet fluff. I hope you will enjoy this sequel to my story The Puppy as much as you enjoyed the first adventure of my Dr. Durm and his beloved Marco. Snoopy and Blacky will show up again, too, of course. :-)
> 
> Dear funfan,  
> knowing that you are a dog-person I want to gift this to you, I hope you will enjoy reading this oneshot. Thank you for bringing Durmeus into my life, your support and your patience and for being my friend. I wish you a wonderful, Happy Easter, my dear. :-*
> 
> Dear GoForGoals,  
> You know how addicted I am to your Dr. Durm, you inspired me to the prequel of this story, and I do believe that you can do with some Durmeus-fluff as much as I can do at the moment. Thank you for being my friend and just you, for all of your awesome Durmeus stories and for even transferring them into my Wraith-world for me. Happy Easter, sweetie! :-*

Dr. Erik Durm really didn't know how he had gotten into this.

He normally was a respected and distinguished veterinarian, one of the most popular veterinarians of Dortmund even, and yet he cowered there in the middle of the huge garden belonging to the house where he lived with his husband Marco, dressed in a more than ridiculous costume while everybody else in the city was still sleeping, peacefully. It was still pretty early on that Easter Sunday, and Erik was sure that no one with their common sense still intact would get up before sunrise to play the Easter Bunny and hide colored eggs in their gardens like he himself had to do it now.

And this only because Marco's young nephew Nico spent the Easter holidays with them. Not that Erik didn't love Nico who was his nephew now, as well. Quite the opposite, he loved the sweet seven-years old boy as if he were his own son. But, the costume was not only ridiculous and would surely make every neighbor seeing him dressed like this laugh at him, it was also uncomfortable and too thick for his liking. Easter was early this year, and the sun now rising over the wooden fence enclosing their garden in a wonderful and perfect red ball was still too weak to really warm the chilly air, but Erik was already sweating in the brown bunny costume.

The young veterinarian sighed, scampering over to the thick bushes at the other end of the meadow like it was appropriate for a true Easter Bunny, hoping that Mrs. Keller, their nice but very nosy neighbor, would choose the opposite direction for her morning walk today. He really didn't want to have to explain himself to her if she caught him hiding colored eggs between the bushes and behind the trees growing in their garden dressed in this thing resembling a potato sack with long ears. It was a tricky undertaking to scamper like a rabbit would do while holding the basket with the gifts for Nico, but he didn't rise to his feet, making himself as small as possible to not arouse unwanted attention.

Erik carefully placed the package with the playmobil veterinary practice in the small slit between the proud maple tree and the wall of their garden house before lolloping to the hazelnut bush and clamping one of the nests filled with blue, red, yellow and green eggs between the branches, remembering his talk with Marco the previous evening.

Marco had put Nico to bed while Erik had fed their dogs Snoopy and Blacky, and it had taken three bedtime stories until Nico had finally fallen asleep. Nico's parents had left their son with Marco and Erik for one week to enjoy a couple of days in Austria with skiing and being just a couple instead of parents. They had wanted to come back during the afternoon, but just before they had been about to leave, Nico's mother had slipped on the snow and broken her leg. It wasn't too bad, but she would have to stay in the hospital for one week, and Nico's father hadn't wanted to leave her alone in Austria. Marco and Erik had assured them that they would love to take care of Nico for one more week, and Nico had been a brave boy, telling his parents that he would be fine. Of course, he had shed some tears in the evening, not because he didn't love his uncles, but because he missed mommy and daddy like every little boy would do.

When their nephew had eventually fallen asleep, Marco had joined Erik in their living room, looking with big, pleading puppy eyes at him while the offending costume had dangled from his hand, swaying forth and back before Erik's eyes until the young veterinarian had felt dizzy and dazed from watching its movements.

“Why don't you wear it yourself, Marco?” he had growled, already defeated, because Marco knew quite well that Erik couldn't stand him making puppy eyes at him like Snoopy always did when he wanted more food. “Because you will be a much better Easter Bunny than I could ever be, Erik. Please, Nico will be so happy, and he needs a distraction from his grief.” Snoopy lying curled up before Erik's feet had raised his head. “Woof, woof, woof!” he had come to his owner's help, and of course, Blacky had had to conspire with the two, barking his own plea at Erik in his low voice. “Woof, woof!”

Erik had let out a heartfelt sigh, but taken the costume while murmuring something unpleasant about manipulating husbands and disloyal dogs jumping ships.

Erik sighed again, pulling himself out of his memories to finish his task. He didn't have much time before Nico would wake up, and he really didn't want to get caught dressed like this. After all, Easter Bunnies always came during the night and didn't want to be seen, didn't they? Marco surely didn't expect him to wear this bunny dress all day long, right?

He scampered to the farthest corner of their garden, hiding another nest with eggs and a big chocolate bunny in the green grass, when he suddenly heard a small whimper coming from the wooden gate leading to the backstreet and the playground of the residential quarter where they lived. There, on a blanket in a basket lay a small Golden Retriever puppy, whining softly and looking at him with big brown eyes.

“Hey, little cutie, what are you doing there?” Erik cooed, forgetting his costume and everything else as he reached out, offering his hand to the puppy. The small dog sniffed curiously, licking with its rough tongue over his palm. “Why are you lying in a basket before our fence, little one?” the young veterinarian murmured, gently stroking the soft, golden fur. His trained eyes noticed immediately that the puppy was in good shape, someone had taken good care of it before they had left it before their fence gate. “Ah, there is a note, let's see what happened to your owner, little one,” Erik said when his gaze fell upon the piece of paper glued to the basket. He took it, reading the note scribbled in obvious haste.

_“Dear Dr. Durm,_

_I know that you and your husband love dogs, and I ask you to take care of my beloved little puppy. His name is Rocco, he is fourteen weeks old, housebroken, and he loves children. I'm sure that Snoopy and Blacky will like him and take him under their wing. Unfortunately, I can't keep him with me any longer. I live alone and I didn't know where to leave him otherwise, because I really don't want Rocco having to stay in an animal sanctuary. Please, don't leave him there, I'm begging you._

_My sincerest thank you for giving Rocco a new home and a Happy Easter to you and your family,_

_your indebted A.”_

Erik stared at the note, swallowing audibly. He felt touched by the heartfelt words that spoke of the love the former owner felt for the sweet Golden Retriever puppy watching him hopefully. Rocco didn't shy away from his touch, and it was clear that he had had a good home before 'A' had put him into the basket and left him here. Erik raised his head and looked around, sensing that the unknown supplicant must still be close, probably watching him to make sure that Erik would take Rocco with him and take care of him. The backstreet and the playground were empty, but the brunet doctor could feel attentive eyes on his face as he took the basket with Rocco and closed the gate again.

“Snoopy and Blacky will be excited, and so will be Nico, little Rocco. I'm sure you will like it here,” he assured the puppy peering out of the basket, curiously, and it was only when he heard Nico's and Marco's voice that he remembered what he had done before he had found the little dog and that he was still wearing the bunny costume. “Shit, this is bad, Rocco. We have to hide somewhere, maybe I we can sneak into the house while Nico is looking for the eggs,” he whispered, crouching down behind the rosebush near the fence gate, putting his finger upon his lips. “You have to be quiet, Rocco!” he ordered the puppy, and Rocco curled himself up in the basket, his brown eyes fixed on his new owner as he did so. “Good boy,” Erik praised him, watching his husband and Nico strolling over the meadow in the hope that Snoopy and Blacky hadn't come with them.

 

*~*~*~*

 

Marco followed Nico to the garden house, wondering where Erik might be. He had thought that they would meet Erik inside and dressed in normal clothes again, considering how much his beloved husband had hated the thought of wearing a bunny costume and scampering around, hiding colored eggs and presents for their small guest. Nico had been so sad the previous evening, and Marco had searched for a way to make him happy again, the idea with the costume seeming to be a good one. Erik clearly had had another opinion about that, and Marco started to worry that he had truly upset him with his suggestion, because Erik was nowhere in sight, neither in their house, nor in the garden. Had he left to get some buns?

“Uncle Marco! Look what I found here!” Nico's excited voice pulled him out of his musings, and he walked over to his nephew, smiling at him. “It seems as if the Easter Bunny has been very busy tonight,” he said, earning a huff and roll of his eyes from his nephew with his words.

“Uncle Marco! I'm not a baby any longer. I know that the Easter Bunny doesn't exist! I'm sure that Uncle Erik and you have put the eggs and my presents here,” Nico said with the sincerity only seven-years old boys had. “Thank you so much, I love playmobil so much! Now I can be a veterinarian like Uncle Erik is!” he pressed the package with the veterinary practice against his slim chest, beaming at his blond uncle.

Marco made a pout. “I can assure you that it wasn't me who put it there. I believe in the Easter Bunny, I'm sure that it is still around. We only have to search for something brown in the green meadow and then, we will find this very diligent animal.”

Nico giggled, running over the meadow to search for more presents. The young man followed him much slower, still trying to catch a glimpse of his husband. He was glad that Nico had forgotten the sorrow about his parents' absence and and his mother's broken leg for some time, the young boy having great fun with running around and searching for the nests with the colored eggs blinking through the branches of the bushes. Erik had done a great job as the Easter Bunny, hiding the presents in a way that Nico didn't find them right at first sight, but after three or four more careful looks. If he only knew where his husband was hiding, he would have been happy, as well.

Snoopy and Blacky put him out of his misery only two minutes later. Marco had thought that he had closed the door leading to the garden, but their clever dogs obviously had managed to squeeze themselves through the small slit he had left, suddenly storming over the meadow with excited woofs right in the direction of the large rosebush near the fence gate. There, they stopped, bouncing on their feet and barking, loudly. Nico let out a shout of joy and started off towards them, and Marco hurried to follow and see what it was upsetting their normally pretty lazy dogs that much.

The sight greeting him was as funny as it was heartwarming.

His beloved husband cowered behind the rosebush like a real rabbit would do to hide itself, still dressed with the ridiculous, brown bunny costume. His face was deep red with his embarrassment, and his beautiful hazel-green eyes looked pleadingly at Marco. Snoopy and Blacky danced around him, woofing and sniffing at the basket Erik clenched his hands around. Their nephew Nico had wrapped his thin arms around Erik's neck, laughing and shouting with joy.

“Uncle Erik! You are the best Easter Bunny in the entire world!” the boy cried, pushing so hard against the young veterinarian that both of them lost their balance and fell down onto the green grass, lying there in a heap of arms and legs, while Snoopy excitedly licked Erik's face.

“Urgh, Snoopy, let go of me, please!” Erik croaked out, struggling up into a sitting position with Nico in his lap. “Uncle Marcooooo! Look what the Easter Bunny has brought me!!” The young boy pointed at the basket with his finger, and Marco craned his neck to take a look at its content. He couldn't really see what it was, because of Blacky being in the way, but the high pitched “woof!” coming from what could only be a little puppy together with the larger dog answering the woof with a low bark confirmed his suspicion that the content of the basket was very much alive and definitely not a rabbit.

Marco shook his head with a grin, raising one eyebrow at his sheepish husband. “You're quite an astonishing Easter Bunny, Erik! I told you that Nico would be excited and happy. But, where did you get this puppy from? I can't remember any talk we might have had about presenting Nico with a puppy!”

Erik tried to scowl at him, which looked even more funny with his long ears teetering forth and back and his normally slender body stuffed into the enormous brown bunny fur with the white scut on his backside. “This is a long story, Marco. Would you please lend me a hand? The grass is damp and this costume is killing me! I can't believe that you actually made me wear it, scampering over the meadow like a giant rabbit! I think I deserve a reward after what I have been through this morning, and this even before nine o'clock on a Sunday morning!”

Marco chuckled, gently pulling Nico out of Erik's lap and putting him onto his feet again. Snoopy and Blacky had stopped barking and begun to lick the golden fur of the little puppy instead, obviously as happy about their new friend as Nico was. The blond offered his hand to his husband, and when Erik was up on his feet again, too, he pulled him close to reward him with a passionate kiss. Nico gratefully didn't make gagging sounds this time like he usually did whenever they kissed, too busied with the puppy to look at them.

The kiss was sweet and tender and ardent, just like a kiss between two young men still crazy in love with each other should be, and Marco didn't care about them standing in the middle of their garden visible for every pedestrian passing them, or Erik still wearing the ridiculous costume, only the slightest. Erik was the man he loved and nothing else mattered to him.

“Reward enough?” he asked when they parted again, and his wonderful doctor melted against him with a happy sigh. “Almost.” Erik's voice was muffled by Marco's throat. “I think that I also deserve some toast with bacon and colored eggs and a huge pot of coffee.”

Marco kissed his long bunny ear. “Anything you want, babe,” he whispered, hoarsely, his love for his husband overwhelming him. “I'm so proud of you, you really made Nico happy. Our nephew is right, you're the best Easter Bunny in the world, and the most beautiful one, too. I love you.”

“Love you, too. Feed me with coffee and some Easter eggs, and I will tell you Rocco's story. I found him lying in the basket half an hour ago, someone left him before our fence gate,” Erik murmured, slowly pulling away from Marco. Marco turned his head to look at Nico playing happily with the three dogs, his sorrow about having to spend the Easter holidays without his parents forgotten, completely. The small Golden Retriever puppy had crawled out of the basket to raise his tiny leg before the rosebush, closely watched by Blacky and Snoopy barking their approval to their little friend's behavior.

“Maybe, Yvonne will agree to Nico keeping Rocco,” Marco stated musingly while they made their way back to the house arm in arm and with the dogs and Nico dancing and bouncing around them, happy laughter and barks filling the fragrant air of the wonderful sunny spring day. Erik smiled at him, and Marco was sure that his husband had never looked more beautiful than he did now, wearing the huge and awkward bunny costume and with his cheeks rosy from his happiness. Erik's hazel-green eyes sparkled with mischief and joy, and Marco had to steal another kiss, because he simply couldn't get enough of the man he loved more than anything else.

“I'm sure she will. How could she not? After all, it was the will of the Easter Bunny that Nico would get him. And if she'll really say no, then Rocco will stay with us and Nico can visit him on a regular basis. Our house is big enough for three dogs,” his wonderful Easter Bunny stated after two more kisses, his eyes becoming tender as he looked at the small puppy that had curled himself up in Nico's arms now, tired from all the excitement and the running.

Marco smiled back. “Yes, it is, my sweet Erik, and so are our hearts,” he said as they entered their house, “our house and our hearts will always be big enough for a new member joining our little family, no matter whether it will be another dog or maybe a young boy or girl some day.”

They had never talked about it, but Nico's visit had made him think about how it would be to raise a child on their own one day, and the words had left his mouth before he had even realized what he had said.

Erik's gaze made his heart flip, and the bunny costume suddenly didn't look ridiculous any longer, because the love he could see in his husband's eyes let everything else become unimportant.

The young veterinarian lifted his hand up to his face, gently cupping Marco's stubbly cheek. “Yes, our house and our hearts will always be big enough for a new member of our little family, and maybe, there will be a young boy or girl playing with our dogs in our garden some day soon, who knows? Nico would surely be a great cousin. Happy Easter, Marco, I love you,” he said, his eyes sparkling again, before he eventually pulled away from the blond, walking over to their bedroom to get rid of the costume and become Erik the doctor instead of Erik, the Easter Bunny again.

Marco wrapped his arm around Nico's shoulder with Snoppy sitting at his right side and Blacky at Nico's left side, his eyes following Erik until he was out of sight, but his gaze was directed, inwardly, and the scene he could see playing before his mind's eyes was as clear as it was beautiful:

Erik, he himself, Nico and their dogs Blacky, Snoopy and Rocco playing in the garden with a young boy – their own child.

“Happy Easter, Nico,” he whispered, and his nephew looked up at him with a happy smile. “Happy Easter, Uncle Marco. Being the big cousin of your son or daughter would be fun!”

“Woof, woof, woof, woof!” Snoopy stated, wagging his tail, excitedly.

“Woof, woof, woof!” Blacky barked in his low voice, licking Nico's leg.

“Woof, woof!” woofed Rocco, and his heartfelt yawn made him look as if he was smiling.

“Happy Easter to you, too, boys!” Marco shook his head with an amused chuckle, his heart filled with happiness and hope. He knew that he was blessed having Erik by his side, living a happy life with their dogs in a wonderful house and without any worries and struggles and the prospect of raising children with the man he loved filled his heart and every cell of his body with warmth and pure bliss.

One day, they would be parents, and the knowledge that his secret wish would come true was the most wonderful Easter present Marco could only imagine, this and the love of Erik and his family, because love and family are the most important things in the world and all that truly matters.

 

_The End_


End file.
